There is not much recovery time for Sligo Rovers with a trip to Tolka Park on Wednesday evening to tackle Shelbourne in the Women’s Premier Division (WPD) with a kick-off time scheduled for 7.45pm, writes Conall Collier.

A battling display in front of a crowd of 1,121 last Saturday in the Women’s FAI Cup semi-final against Athlone Town at the Showgrounds in a 4-0 defeat will leave the players determined to make amends when they go to the Dublin venue.

The Shelbourne players will be eager to make an impression on manager Noel King in the build up to the FAI Cup final next month following last Saturday’s 2-0 semi-final victory against Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium.

Shelbourne booked that FAI Cup final ticket with goals from Christie Gray and Hannah Healy and the players will be focused on getting another victory to sustain momentum with a two-week break before the next outing in the WPD.

On that basis, Sligo Rovers can expect a stern test and manager Steve Feeney will be well aware of the threat that the Dublin women will pose.

Earlier this season Shelbourne hit the Bit O’Red for six goals without reply at the Showgrounds as manager Noel King took a relaxing seat in the stand as he continued to serve a sideline suspension.

Three goals in each half paved the way to victory for Shelbourne and while Sligo Rovers were well beaten over the 90 minutes, the players demonstrated the usual character and determination as they carved out a number of good chances.

Last Saturday Sligo Rovers lost out at the semi-final stage of the FAI Cup as Athlone Town progressed to the decider where they will tackle Shelbourne in a repeat of the 2022 final.

Defensive lapses proved costly for Sligo Rovers, but if the Bit O’Red can reproduce some of the form they displayed in recent outings against Bohemian FC and Cork City, then they will be well-placed to keep the game competitive.

Entry into Tolka Park is free on the night.